Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas said the newly acquired warships commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos two weeks ago have been deployed in the troubled Niger Delta region.
Speaking to newsmen during the 2016 Nigerian Navy Ball, also known as Navy End of Year Party, organised for naval personnel at the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta, Warri, Ibas said the Navy had identified areas where the ships would be useful and had deployed them accordingly.
Ibas, who was represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Navy Logistic Command, Oghara, Rear Admiral Enyinna Ibe-Enwo, said the ships have commenced operations at the various strategic locations where they are considered useful to the economy.
“Those ships have since been deployed to strategic locations immediately after the president and Commander-in-Chief commissioned them and are being handled by trained personnel who have gone through rigorous training on how to operate them professionally. “They are already sailing and are in perfect conditions where they have been deployed,” he said.
“Until national assets in this region (Niger Delta) are protected, we cannot have a stable economy in Nigeria’, it is imperative for our people to assist the security agencies to ensure these facilities are kept from the reach of vandals.
“The security agents cannot do much without the support of our people. We must stop oil theft, sea piracy and vandalism together,” he declared.
